Madison, NJ (November 8) - The FDU Men's Basketball team was edged out by Drew during their match up in the FDU season opening tournament, 100-70.
The Devils were led by Christopher Smith (Florham Park, NJ), who tallied 13 points and 6 rebounds, Noah Pagan (Ringwood, NJ) who tallied 11, and Jaqwan Washington (Bryan, Texas), James Zingaro (Stratford, NJ), and Dart Simmons (Hillside, NJ) with 6 points each.
The Drew University Rangers and the FDU-Florham Devils were neck and neck during the first 10 minutes of game play, reaching an even 20-20 at the 8:26 timestamp. That run included baskets from Smith, McClellan Creek (Louisville, Ky.), Jamal Santana (Randolph, NJ), Pagan, Washington, and Carson Woods (Phoenix, Az.). It was not until the remaining minutes of the first quarter that the Rangers were able to gain a 10-point lead at the 4:38 minute mark. In an effort to catch up, Devils baskets were made by Zingaro, Ethan Klueh (Orlando, Fl.), and Smith but the Rangers held onto the lead, ending the first half with a score of 48-29.
FDU opened the second half with a 10-8 run that brought the score to 56-39, Rangers still leading. That run included 4 points from Smith and 2 for Woods, Washington, and Pagan. The Rangers answered right back with a 19-9 run to increase their score to 75-47 at the 8:59 minute mark. The Devils continued to fight back offensively but the Rangers were able to keep hold of their lead, ultimately defeating the Devils with a score of 100-70.
As a team, FDU-Florham shot 45.5 percent (25-55) from the floor, 31.3 percent (5-16) from three-point range, and 48.4 percent (15-31) from the free throw line. They totaled 40 points in the paint, 43 off the bench, and 21 points off of turnovers.
Drew shot 43.1 percent (31-72) from the floor, 37.8 percent (17-45) from three-point range, and 72.4 percent (21-29) from the free throw line. They totaled 28 in the paint, 25 off the bench, and 41 off of turnovers.
FDU-Florham returns to the court as they take on Centenary on Saturday, November 9. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 pm.
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